Children’s spatial–numerical associations on horizontal, vertical, and sagittal axes

Abstract

There is substantial evidence linking numerical magnitude to the physical properties of space. The most influential support for this connection comes from the SNARC effect (spatial–numerical association of response codes), in which responses to small/large numbers are faster on the left/right side of space, respectively. The SNARC effect has been extensively replicated, and is understood as horizontal mapping of numerical magnitude. However, much less is known about how numbers are represented on the vertical and sagittal axes, and whether spatial–numerical associations on different axes emerge during childhood. To that end, we tested two groups of children, aged 5–7 years and 8 and 9 years, on a single-digit magnitude comparison task with response buttons positioned either upper/lower (vertical), left/right (horizontal) or near/far (sagittal). Our results provide evidence of spatial–numerical mapping on all three axes for both age groups that are similar in strength. This indicates that, even at an early stage of formal education, children can flexibly assign numerical magnitude to any spatial dimension. To examine the contribution of extracorporeal space and spatio-anatomical mapping to the SNARC effect across axes, these sources were pitted against each other by swapping the position of the response hands in Experiment 1b. Switching hand position did not reveal convincing evidence for SNARC effects on any axis. Results are discussed with respect to the utility of three-dimensional mental number lines, and potential avenues for future research are outlined.